![Gold mining pollution trial begins in Indonesia](https://www.jurist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/jurist-white-text.png)
[JURIST] The Indonesian government began its criminal pollution case [JURIST report] Friday against Denver-based gold giant Newmont Mining Corp. [official website] and its American regional chief executive Richard Ness. The government claims that studies prove Newmont placed arsenic and mercury into the waters of Buyat Bay [New York Times report], but the World Health Organization [official website] found no such evidence, and Newmont claims its activities in the bay were properly approved by the government. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, has been attempting to encourage investment in industries such as mining to spur economic growth. Reuters has more.